24 



beauties and varieties ; but the rash han4 

 of false taste would destroy that founda- 

 tion, by indiscriminately destroying all 

 roughness and inequality. 



This sort of analysis shews what is the 

 ground-work of picturesque improvement ; 

 but that ground-work by no means pre- 

 cludes the future admission of those softer 

 beauties which arise from smoothness and 

 undulation. The essential difference is* 

 that the last-mentioned qualities may be 

 given at any time, and in any degree; 

 whereas it is extremely difficult to return 

 back to abruptness. The reason of this 

 difference is obvious : all smoothing and 

 levelling can be done in a great measure 

 by rule, and therefore with certainty ; but 

 the effects of abruptness, though they may 

 be prepared by design, can only be pro- 

 duced by accident, and cannot be renewed 

 but by the same process. 



The person therefore who has any part 

 of a piece of water to form totally anew, 

 would, according to my conception, do 

 well to take any beautiful bank of a river 



